Fitzpatrick part of large marathon field

LANCASTER — Like so many people, Wendy Fitzpatrick, of Lancaster, was deeply affected by last year's Boston Marathon bombings.

After the bombings at the finish line, the 52 year-old Fitzpatrick, who hadn't run a Boston Marathon in seven years, decided she had to train for the Patriots' Day classic one more time.

Fitzpatrick, who took up long distance running 20 years ago, will be running in her 10th marathon and eighth Boston Marathon on April 21. She has also completed the New York City Marathon and the Clarence DeMar Marathon in New Hampshire.

In all but one of her Boston Marathon finishes, she has run with the American Liver Foundation's Run for Research team.

"After seeing the courage and resilience that the people of Boston displayed last year, the choice became clear to me to run another marathon," Fitzpatrick said. "I am running to raise funds for liver disease research, education and advocacy."

According to its website, "The American Liver Foundation's Run for Research program is the oldest and one of the largest marathon teams in the Boston Athletic Association's official charity program. For over two decades, we have helped thousands of runners compete in the historic Boston Marathon, while raising funds for the fight against liver disease."

"I knew I wouldn't be able to qualify, so I got a number in the Central Mass. Striders lottery for my first (Boston) marathon in 1999," Fitzpatrick said. "Once I finished my first marathon, I thought that I could do that again.

"I searched for a charity and I found the Liver Foundation," she said. "There is no liver disease in my family, but I started running with the team and got hooked.

"It has worked out great," Fitzpatrick continued. "I have run Falmouth (road race) for them and done walks and casino nights to raise funds. The woman I run with, Maureen Mullins, I met through the foundation."

When she began running in the early 1990s, Fitzpatrick selected Slattery's Turkey Trot in Fitchburg as her first race.

"I taught aerobics for a long time and I thought one spring that it would be a good idea to try running," Fitzpatrick said. "I did Slattery's in 1993 and I haven't missed one since. I'm on a mission to make at least 25 (consecutive) Slattery's.

"I had never run before and thankfully, I've never been injured," she said. "I think that's why I've been able to keep running."

Although a dedicated runner, Fitzpatrick had plenty of training to do to tackle 26.2 miles again. In spite of one of the worst winters in years, she started training in earnest in December.

Fitzpatrick, who completed a 21-mile training run last Sunday, finished last month's Stu's 30K in 3:52:45. Her personal record (PR) at Boston is 4:59:59.

"Our official training started in December and I had already done some 10 milers," Fitzpatrick said. "I've put in some 20 and 30 mile weeks.

"I go to Cross Fit EXP (in Leominster) two or three times a week," she said. "I've done some 14 and 16 (mile) runs, so I'm ready. All of my marathons have been around five hours.

"I volunteered at the foundation water stop at the 13-mile mark last year, so I'll stop there for a minute or two and take some pictures," Fitzpatrick said.

The experience of running the Boston Marathon is a unique one and Fitzpatrick, who now runs with the North Medford Running Club, is looking forward to it.

Fitzpatrick will be in the third wave of the 118th Boston Marathon, which will take place on Monday, April 21. She will begin the long trek to the finish line on Boylston Street at 11 a.m.

This year's Boston Marathon will have a field of 36,000 runners, the second most in race history and 9,000 more than last year. Only the 100th anniversary race in 1996 had more runners registered.

With 38 runners, this year's Boston Marathon also features one of the largest local fields in recent memory. The local runners who are considered official runners and will be wearing a number on Marathon Monday, are as follows: